IN THIS BULLETIN:
Did You Know?
Did you know that the university is offering COVID tests to students who plan to travel outside Blacksburg during the Thanksgiving break? Testing will be available Nov 14-24, and students must register by Oct 26 if they wish to be tested. The test is free, but anyone who fails to cancel a scheduled test within 48 hours will be charged $100 on their student account.
Did you know that the Graduate School has a https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/student-services/spouses-partners-and-children.html?
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Jigsaw Connect: Recognizing and Supporting Students in Distress
2. From HBSU to PWI: How to Leverage Lessons Learned from My Previous Institution
3. Virtual 2020 HBCU/MSI Research Summit: October 29-30
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
- Nominations for Graduate Alumni Achievement Award due today, October 16, 2020
- Wed course request for spring 2021 open October 20-27
- Doctoral students’ last day to defend if participating in fall commencement is October 30
- Little Hokie Hand-me-down donations accepted October 11-November 6
Policy and Procedure Updates
1. Changes to GTA Workshop Registration and Enforcement of Enrollment Requirement
2. Financial Support Documentation for International Students with Deferred Admission to Spring 2021
3. TOEFL and GRE Testing Updates
Administrative Announcements
1. Slack Site for Discussions about Graduate Education at VT
2. Accepting Nominations for Graduate Alumni Achievement Award – deadline today
3. 7th Annual Little Hokie Hand-me-down Donations Sought
4. 2021 IBM PhD Fellowship Award Program Nominations
5. Post-Thanksgiving Updates
6. Edward Bouchet Honor Society Nomination Period Open
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Jigsaw Connect: Recognizing and Supporting Students in Distress
Thursday, October 22, 11:00am
The Graduate School invites you to join: Jigsaw Connect! Jigsaw Connect is a monthly discussion series focused on recruitment and retention support for graduate programs. Join us for our next session featuring Rita F. Klein, Ph.D., LCP, Senior Staff Psychologist of Thomas E. Cook Counseling Center. Register at https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvdOCuqTkqG9QBSDJVKtWC93cw0CH6RtLA and feel free to invite others who may find this information useful. For more information, email mailto:shernita@vt.edu.
2. From HBSU to PWI: How to Leverage Lessons Learned from My Previous Institution
Tuesday, October 27, 4:00-5:00pm, Zoom
Join our next connect event supporting students from historically black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions with Dr. Brian Moseley, Learning Technology & Development Manager, Enterprise Learning and Development, Duke Energy. All are invited to attend. Register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0q71yb2Pj8Dl2IZ by October 26 to receive the Zoom link. For accommodations, please contact mailto:ordi@vt.edu at least 72 hours in advance of the event.
3. Virtual 2020 HBCU/MSI Research Summit: October 29-30
The Graduate School’s Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion is hosting a virtual summit this year and invites you to participate if you are seeking research collaborations with faculty from HBCUs or MSIs and/or have an interest in recruiting students. Information about this free event can be found at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/diversity/hbcu_research_summit.html. Register for faculty day at: https://app.brazenconnect.com/a/vt-grad-school/e/4OxeV. Register for student day at: https://app.brazenconnect.com/a/vt-grad-school/e/3qBQsK. Please email mailto:ORDI@vt.edu with questions or for additional information.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
- Nominations for Graduate Alumni Achievement Award due today, October 16, 2020
- Wed course request for spring 2021 open October 20-27
- Doctoral students’ last day to defend if participating in fall commencement is October 30
- Little Hokie Hand-me-down donations accepted October 11-November 6
Policy and Procedure Updates
1. Changes to GTA Workshop Registration and Enforcement of Enrollment Requirement
Starting in Spring 2021, graduate students will be able to register themselves for the GTA training workshop or departments may register their students through the regular course request and drop/add process. All GTAs are required to complete the one-credit course, https://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/courses-and-scheduling/graduate-school-courses/gta-workshop.html. A recent audit has indicated that 168 current GTAs have not completed the course. These students will receive an email notification next week regarding the requirement to complete this course at the next available opportunity, which will be spring 2021. The spring 2021 GTA workshop will be offered in fully virtual fashion (largely synchronous but with asynchronous portions and options).
2. Financial Support Documentation for International Students with Deferred Admission to Spring 2021
For graduate international students who received assistantships for the 2020-2021 academic year but have deferred their admit date to Spring 2021, additional financial support documentation is required before an updated Form I-20 with new program start and end dates can be issued. Federal regulations require documentation that demonstrates funds exist at least for the student’s first year of study and that, barring unforeseen circumstances, adequate funding will be available from the same or equally dependable sources for subsequent years. The Cranwell International Center requires a letter from the student’s assistantship department indicating their intent to provide the student with an assistantship for Fall 2021. This letter:
- Must be on official letterhead
- Must be signed by the appropriate faculty member
- State that an official assistantship contract for AY2021-22 will be executed later
- State the anticipated amount to be awarded for AY2021-22
You do not need to submit this letter until and unless an international student in your department requests it as part of the process of working with Cranwell International Center to secure an updated Form I-20. If you have any questions, please reach out the Cranwell International Center by phone at 540.231.6527 or to your department’s https://international.vt.edu/immigration_services.html directly.
3. TOEFL and GRE Testing Updates
Due to the continued need, availability of the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and GRE General Test at Home will be extended through October, with a possible further extension.
TOEFL: Web page for TOEFL Institutions and TOEFL Test Takers. Those testing in China can access information on in-person testing here: https://toefl.neea.cn/. Those unable to test in-person are encouraged to register for the TOEFL ITP Plus for China Solution: www.ets.org/toefl/itp-plus.
GRE: Web pages for GRE Institutions and GRE Test Takers. Those testing in China can access information on in-person testing here: https://gre.neea.cn/
Administrative Announcements
1. Slack Site for Discussions about Graduate Education at VT
The Graduate School has established a Slack site for discussions about graduate education at VT with channels for graduate program directors, graduate coordinators, and interdisciplinary programs. Invitations will be sent out shortly to join these as desired. The Graduate School will continue to publish this semi-monthly bulletin for official announcements, and the shared Google drive will remain available for the sharing of documents.
2. Accepting Nominations for Graduate Alumni Achievement Award – deadline today
The Grad School is accepting nomination for the Graduate Alumni Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding national and/or international achievement and exemplary contribution by the winner to his or her profession, discipline, community or society. Nominees must be engaged in efforts that enhance the reputation of Virginia Tech to a national and/or international audience. Only alumni who have obtained a graduate degree from Virginia Tech are eligible. Submission deadline is October 16, 2020. For more information on nomination requirements and to submit a nomination, visit: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/alumni.html.
3. 7th Annual Little Hokie Hand-me-down Donations Sought
The Women’s Center, Graduate School and Graduate School Assembly is hosting the 7th Annual Little Hokie Hand-Me-Down on November 11-12 in the GLC Multipurpose Room to benefit VT graduate students and families. Now collecting unused/gently used children’s items for ages 0-10 between Oct 12-Nov 6. Drop off on the VT Women’s Center porch any of the following: Toys (including music and DVDs,) books, clothing (baby and maternity), formula, medical supplies (lactation devices), strollers, unexpired car seats, school supplies, bedding (for cribs and moms), bathing and grooming supplies (bathers, unopened creams, powders), feeding supplies, baby gear (activity gyms, bassinets, play mats, carriers, etc), and diapers. In order to maintain the safety of those handling the items, please completely box or contain in plastic bags any donations. For more information, contact mailto:jmelts@vt.edu at jmelts@vt.edu .
4. 2021 IBM PhD Fellowship Award Program Nominations
IBM has announced the 2021 Two-Year Worldwide IBM PhD Fellowship for the academic years of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. This program recognizes and supports exceptional PhD students who want to make their mark in promising and disruptive technologies. Focus areas include the following topics of particular interest: Hybrid Cloud; Quantum Computing / Quantum Systems; AI; Cloud / Open Source Technologies; Security / Cyber Security; Data Science; Systems. Students must be nominated by a doctoral faculty member. The nominator provides the supporting documentation (resume, list of publications, thesis topic, etc.), categorizes the student’s initial career interests, and submits the nomination for evaluation. All IBM PhD Fellowship awardees are matched with an IBM mentor according to their technical interests and are encouraged to participate in an internship at least once while completing their studies. Students receiving a comparable fellowship or internship from another company or institution during the same academic period may not be eligible for an IBM PhD Fellowship. Students should have three years remaining in their graduate program at the time of nomination. Nomination deadline: October 23, 2020. More information at: https://www.research.ibm.com/university/awards/fellowships.html.
5. Post-Thanksgiving Updates
The university will remain open after Thanksgiving and through the winter breaks as usual. Graduate students can continue their research and scholarly endeavors. Also, graduate students living on campus will be allowed to stay in their residences and will need to work with Housing and Residence Life to make appropriate arrangements for their continued stay.
6. Edward Bouchet Honor Society Nomination Period Open
The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (Bouchet Society) recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. We are seeking nominations for graduate students who are within 1-2 semesters of completing their doctoral degree. Find out more at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/diversity/bouchet-society.html. Nomination deadline is Nov. 23rd. Please email shernita@vt.edu if you have any questions.